Fighting Corruption
by Lucy Labrador
Summary: It's justified when you stand up for someone who is suffering right? Not if proof is needed for the obvious, the guilty go free and victims are left for dead.
1. Chapter 1

**Fighting Corruption**

**Chapter 1**

**This is another story based on Shadow's family on 'What A Long Hard Life'. This includes his children Bless, Shade and his wife, Maria (Hedgehog). **

_I've got my eyes on you, scum. Whatever you've done to my daughter, you'll regret._

Shadow noticed that Bless was acting a lot differently. It was normal for her to hate school but not this much. The stubborn teen was trying her best to get out of it, every single day. Despite this, she was arriving home late too. Shadow and Maria received many phone calls about Bless' behaviour.

Instead of increasing the punishments, Shadow let his daughter get on with it. He had a strong feeling that she had a problem but didn't know how to go about dealing with it. Whenever he asked what was wrong, she would say that she felt fine, when she blatantly did not.

The teen was a lot like Shadow in her personalities and emotions as well as looks. Her quick temper made her stand out even more than she would with just her unique appearance of deep red eyes and red and black fur. She was a scapegoat, an easy target for heartless kids who were angry, bored or simply wanted to pick on someone.

A few week prior, Bless would complain each day of annoying pests that would call names and make faces while they had 'harmless' fun. It didn't upset her though, only seemed to anger her. Shadow had told her not to waste their time on idiots that can't find anything better to do than pick on others. The anger and complaints had stopped, but in it's place was pure sadness and a hint of fear.

Shadow feared the worst, Bless was being bullied again. The signs made it obvious but he had to ask just to make sure. While all three of them were sitting together at the dinner table, Maria began a conversation. "Shade called today. He's taking a break from college to come back and see us for a week," Maria announced. Shadow felt a great sense of relief, he enjoyed seeing his well behaved and successful son. But this only reminded him that Bless was the exact opposite of that right now, so he spoke up.

"Bless, I think you have a problem. Why are you so upset all of the time?" Shadow asked. Bless's eyes widened, she stopped eating and stayed silent. "Please tell me."

Bless shook her head. "There's nothing wrong," she said timidly.

"There is," Shadow said, beginning to get frustrated, he slammed his fist onto the table. Bless squeaked and pulled her chair back slightly.

"Shadow, calm down, please," Maria said softly. "Bless, it's obvious that there _is _something wrong with you. Please tell us what's bothering you… we can help."

Bless gave the same answer as always, "There's nothing wrong."

"You're being bullied again, aren't you?" Shadow snapped. Bless shook her head frantically. "I'll get them, I'll get the scum that's doing this to you."

"Nothing's wrong!" Bless yelled at her father and got up from the table abruptly.

"Sit down," Shadow commanded through gritted teeth. Bless defied him by crossing her arms and staying stood. "Do as I tell you, Bless."

"Shadow, just leave it," Maria scolded, noticing that Shadow was getting unnecessarily angry. "Bless, will you please just sit down, we won't talk about this anymore if you do."

Bless obeyed Maria and sat down, she always obeyed her mother. Something Shadow felt was a direct attack against him, never doing what he told her to no matter how small a task, and always doing as Maria told her no matter how big the task.

Nothing more was said that mealtime. Bless ate up quickly and left thus giving Shadow the chance to talk to Maria about it. "Maria, I seriously think that Bless is getting bullied again. This is how she acted the last time it happened," Shadow whispered cautiously.

"Well, go to the school and sort it out, if you really think so."

"Are you kidding me? The head teacher is The Commander's brother, I'd never be able to get any sense out of him. I'll have to talk to the bully again. It worked last time, it'll work this time."

"Make sure you know that it _is_ a bully before you go threatening people, Shadow. You could get into trouble if you go terrorizing innocent kids," Maria said wisely.

"Who says it's a kid. This bully is most likely older than Bless to be able to have power over her… and if Bless is 16 then this is not a child that we're dealing with," Shadow said through gritted teeth, he balled his hand into a fist in anger.

"Okay then Shadow. But investigate first," she said and got up to start washing the dishes. Shadow nodded with determination and left the room.

While Bless was sulking in her room, she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she asked miserably.

"It's your father… I want to speak to you," Shadow said calmly from the outside.

"Well I don't want to speak to _you_, you won't believe anything I say," Bless scoffed. Shadow felt the anger boil inside of him.

"Let me talk to you!" he roared.

"Nope."

"I'm coming in!" Shadow yelled.

"I'll cry rape!"

"I'd never do that!"

"They don't know that, do they?" Bless said smartly.

"You don't know what's best for your own good! I'm trying to help you!" Shadow exclaimed.

"Help me by believing what I say. Nothing is wrong," Bless yelled back, sounding just as fed up as her father.

"Why are you so miserable then?"

"Why are _you_ miserable, dad?"

"That's… just the way I am," Shadow stuttered.

"There's your answer, now leave me alone!" Bless threw a pillow at the door. Shadow heard a thump from the inside and got the idea that Bless definitely wanted to be left alone so he went to the kitchen again.

"I told you to leave her, Shadow," Maria said sternly while standing at the side of the room. "And there you are, yelling at her again."

"You said to investigate," Shadow said in exasperation.

"Yes, by keeping an eye on what she does before and after school, not directly ask her." Shadow looked down feeling foolish. "Now let's just leave her to it, she's probably just grown up and become more like you."

"I'm just worried about her Maria…" Shadow sighed sadly and vacated the kitchen.

The ultimate life form took Maria's advice and investigated from a distance. When Bless left for school the next morning, Shadow followed her. By keeping his distance, hiding behind walls and diving through shop doors; he avoided getting seen by Bless. But nothing happened on her journey to school; there was no suspicious activity. "I'll have to try after school," Shadow sighed as he watched her walk through the school doors.

Shadow didn't see her until she walked through them again, along with many other students. It was the end of the school day, the last chance he would get to see whatever was happening to her. Again, keeping his distance, hiding in the crowds and ducking behind trees, cars and walls he stayed undetected. That was when he had a break through.

When Bless entered a more urban area which she would have to pass through in order to get home quickly, she stopped in her tracks. Shadow squinted his eyes. From a distance behind Bless it was hard to see what she was looking at. Shadow couldn't see her expression, but her tensed body language told him that she was afraid.

The panicked teen then took a turn into the nearest alleyway. Shadow hurried to catch up to her, he rushed to the alleyway, it was just a simple detour around a small building. Shadow watched as she came out of the other end a few meters away. Bless was then met by a large male anthrop who pushed her back inside.

It felt as if the vein in his forehead had popped. Shadow stomped over to the passageway a few metres away from him and watched he events unfold from the darkness.

"So, you tried to avoid me today by going around me. You're going to pay," the Anthrop male said and pushed Bless against the stone wall.

"Look- my parents are getting onto me. They keep asking me what's going on… I can't keep this a secret anymore. I have to tell-"

"You tell no one! Remember what I told you… you'll be dead if anyone knows about this you little brat! Now where's the money!?" he yelled in Bless's face while holding her still.

"Here!" Bless cried out and pulled out several coins out of her pocket and chucked it at him. The boy picked up the scattered mess with one hand and held Bless with the other.

"There's less than usual," he complained while looking at the coins in his large hand.

"I'm sorry. I was hungry so I had to buy something with this lunch money… that's all that's left from it-"

"You pathetic piece of crap! You have a debt to pay, now where's the rest!?" he spat in her face.

"I told you! I spent it!" Bless cried out, now sobbing.

"I want double tomorrow, or else," he growled and turned to leave.

"But I can't get double. My parents won't give me double without an explanation; I'll have to tell," she cried out, but he wasn't having any of it, still walking away he answered,

"Tell you you're dead-"

WHACK!

Shadow punched the bully square in the face. The Anthrop keeled back and held his bloody nose. The furious hedgehog then grabbed hold of the bully and pushed him against the wall. "So this is why Bless has been troubled for the past month! You've been forcing her to pay a debt," Shadow hissed through gritted teeth, he looked like a wolf that was growling, almost foaming at the mouth. The bully didn't feel so tough now. This teenager looked like a hedgehog too, he was grey and turquoise with scruffy quills and olive coloured eyes. The anthrop was wearing scruffy and ripped clothes. "Why does she need to pay a debt!?"

"I… h-helped her with some bullies… and n-now she owes me…" he trembled in fear.

"Did she ask for your help!?" Shadow snarled and banged him against the wall again. The boy shook his head. "Then she doesn't owe you a debt! You're nothing but a pathetic piece of scum! You're going to pay dearly!"

"Please don't! I'm sorry!"

"Bless has been going through this for a whole month! You threatened to kill her, she's been starving each day because of you! Begging won't help your disgusting little self!" Shadow spat and punched him in the face again. "You physically assaulted her! You pushed her up against a wall! You should be in expelled, imprisoned!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Sorry you got caught!" Shadow pushed him down on the floor. "You hurt my daughter, that's unforgivable!" the furious hedgehog bent down to pick up the bully and carry on with the punishment but he felt something sharp hit his shoulder.

The ultimate life form looked up, across the street he could see a GUN soldier with a stun gun, there was a dart in Shadow's shoulder. The hedgehog cursed under his breath and fell on top of the bully, no longer conscious.

The soldier ran over and picked the dark hedgehog off of the bully. "Don't worry kid. You're safe now, why don't you come with me… and make a statement. We can get this vermin locked up for assaulting you."

"B-but… he was… h-helping me…" came a female voice that sounded truly distressed.

The soldier turned around to see Bless sobbing on the floor in the alley, she looked a complete mess. "You'll have to back that up with evidence. Are there any witnesses?"

"Only… my dad which you have in your hand." Bless sobbed.

"Well, I can't help you then," the soldier said ruthlessly.

The bully gave a sadistic smirk towards Bless. The soldier turned to leave with Shadow dangling in his grip. Bless felt her heart stop when she saw the bully make a silent statement by mouthing the word,

'Tomorrow' and running his finger across his neck, he then turned to leave with the soldier. The helpless teen was left in the alleyway sobbing. She was more beaten up than usual because she had dared to avoid her problem. The hedgehog's long red and black hair was messed up, the sleeve of her T-shirt was torn and there were bruises on her arms.

The broken girl curled up as she felt water drops strike the top of her head and legs. Despite the rain that was beginning to fall, Bless felt too shaken to get herself home so decided to stay where she was for the time being, worrying about her father and what the bully would do to her tomorrow.

**This chapter has gone through improvement thanks to the help of Lord Kevin and explodinghead.**

**Lucy Labrador**


	2. Chapter 2

**Fighting Corruption**

**Chapter 2**

"No one hurts my sister and gets away with it!"

Bless was on the floor of the living room, sobbing and soaked all over. Her mother Maria and her brother Shade had just listened to her explanation of Shadow's absence, her own injuries and her lateness. Shade was furious, the dark furred, blonde haired hedgehog was almost fuming from the ears.

"Where is this idiot!?" Shade yelled. "He's with GUN making a statement, right? Well, we need to go over there and make our own statement. This is pure corruption, that piece of scum is the criminal, not Dad!"

Maria wanted to calm Shade down, but in this situation his anger was justified, there was a reason to be angry. Maria was feeling distraught. "Mum, shall I bring Bless to make her statement?" Shade asked through gritted teeth, he was trying his hardest not to direct his anger at his family.

"C-can I clean myself up first?" Bless trammelled, still on the floor in tears.

"No! If you go there looking scruffy and beaten, they're more likely to believe you," Shade said looking determined.

"Shade… let's take photographic evidence… and let her clean herself up," Maria said level-headedly. Shade sighed and looked to the floor.

"That… would be more appropriate," he admitted. "I'm sorry Bless." Maria left the room to find a camera.

"It's okay… you were just thinking of the best way," Bless said tiredly while wiping her eyes. "We need more evidence than just a photo though… they could just say that you beat me up to make it look real… or something silly like that." Shade bent down and helped her get up and sit on the sofa instead of the floor.

"I know… but that's not true and we need to go there and tell the real truth, tell them that that bully has been assaulting for over a month and that Dad was only standing up for you, even though he did go overboard," Shade said with a sigh, his anger started up again and he gritted his teeth. "I don't blame him though, I would have done the same to that bastard."

Maria came back in with a digital camera, "Right Bless… scruff your hair up a bit more or something," Shade said eagerly.

"But that would be exaggerating… you just said we need to tell the truth," Bless complained.

"That's right Shade, making out that it's worse than it actually is would be lying, and that would be stooping to the criminal' s level, we're all innocent, so why should we need to be deceiving?" Maria said wisely. Then they heard a knock on the door. Maria turned to get it.

"Wait Mum, I think I should get it, knowing what's going on right now, there could be any old terrorist at the door," Shade said and walked into the hallway.

Maria and Bless waited in the living room feeling their hearts beat quickly.

"Oh, Rouge-" Shade began before he was interrupted by an exasperated bat.

"Oh my chaos, guys I heard what happened, how is Bless?" Rouge's voice came from outside sounding very shocked and distressed. Without permission she ran into the living room to see Bless. The bat looked to be in her thirties. "Oh no… how could this happen to you?"

"Bless has been bullied for the past month… she didn't say anything because the boy threatened to kill her if she did," Maria said in a croaky voice, she too was crying. Rouge rushed over to comfort both of the girls.

"And they won't believe me since no one saw what he did to me, only Dad and he's been arrested… they'll never believe him," Bless sobbed.

"Well they'll believe me, they won't mistreat their best agent," Rouge boasted. "I can help you all. If I don't… chaos knows what'll happen to Shadow."

"W-we were about to take photographic evidence of Bless's injuries," Maria said timidly.

"Let me do that… and I'll take it back to GUN. I assure you, they will listen to me," Rouge said sounding irritated.

The photo was taken, Rouge took the statement in the house so Bless didn't have to come outside again. The bat was about to leave when Bless stopped her. "Rouge… could I ask a favour?" Bless asked her timidly. Rouge turned to the girl and nodded.

Meanwhile, Shadow was wallowing in shame as he slumped down in the corner of his temporary holding cell. "I just know that bastard is in there telling lies," he hissed to himself. The bully was in one of the questioning booths making his statement. The irate hedgehog lifted his head when he heard footsteps, looking up he saw that one of the guards was passing by. "Hey!" Shadow caught his attention. "How long am I going to be here?"

"Hmm… over night unless you can prove your innocence… or his guiltiness," The guard said in a low voice and moved on. Shadow slammed his fist on the cold hard floor, he knew the bully was guilty, he just didn't know how to prove it.

Several minutes later, Shadow was informed by the very solider of the statement that was made against him. "Shadow, you're being put on trial for the assault of a minor."

"But he assaulted my daughter," Shadow hissed. "Everyday for about a month, are you going to question him about that?"

"He didn't mention hurting your daughter-"

Shadow's expression went from frustrated to furious at those words.

"But I'm not saying that I'm inclined to believe it. Like I said before, produce the evidence and I will question him."

"I don't _have_ evidence!" Shadow growled and put his hands on the sides of his head. "Just… trust me… ask my daughter… please…"

"If she turns up to make a statement as I asked her to… then I will."

"Did you get her home safe?" Shadow asked. There was silence. "D-did you just leave her there in that state?" Shadow realised that the foolish human hadn't taken any care in tending to the real victim of the situation, he walked over to the barred door looking infuriated. "What if she didn't get home safely!? I need to phone home, now!"

"I'm sure she's fine," the man scoffed and selfishly left Shadow to worry about his daughter. The distraught hedgehog had no idea as to whether Bless had gotten home safely or not. It felt as though his heart was pounding in his head.

"Please be safe," he uttered under his breath with immense desperation. As much as his daughter's behaviour got on his nerves… it sickened him to think that she was outside, all alone in the dark.

**Thanks again to exploding head for the help. Some minor changes were made.**

**More constructive criticism, please. **

**Lucy Labrador**


	3. Chapter 3

**Fighting Corruption**

**Chapter 3**

Shadow opened his eyes groggily and looked at his surroundings with blurry eyes. It took him a while to realise why he wasn't in his bed with his arms around his wife. Of course, he was slumped in the corner of an empty holding cell. The neglected hedgehog certainly had been kept over night just as the informant had said, and this was just the beginning if nothing was done about the bully.

As the miserable hedgehog came to his senses, he remembered Bless' situation and how she may not have gotten home safely. What he didn't know, was that she got home within a few hours after the incident. If only he knew that she had a plan.

Bless left the house for school that day with confidence tainted by nerves. The teen had her plan but didn't know for sure that it would work. She anticipated its success, since she would be in deep trouble if it didn't. After all, the bully had proclaimed in his disgusting slyness that she was a dead woman.

Shade stood with her at the doorway as she slowly built up the confidence to leave the house. "I'll walk you to school if you want me to… he won't go anywhere near you if you're with someone who's bigger than him," her adult brother offered with concern.

"My plan won't work if you're there. I need to be alone," she said while looking down at the small electronic device in her hand. "The fool won't know what hit him…"

Shade watched as his courageous little sister left in silence while pocketing the unknown device. Not even he knew what the plan was… Bless kept very quiet when she asked Rouge for help.

Rouge had to wait until the end of the day before she could help Bless with her favour. The white bat admired the youth's courage, she saw both her mother and father's bravery within Bless.

The case of the assault on the minor had died down, but Shadow was still kept behind. The bully had long since made his statement full of lies and gone home. Rouge took this as a chance to check up on her companion; she worried about him. Despite having Maria back he was still fragile.

"Shadow… are you okay?" Rouge asked softly when she found him slumped over in his cell feeling sorry for himself. The dark hedgehog looked up when he heard the voice of his best friend; his face expression lit up with anticipation.

"Rouge, you're here," Shadow said with slight excitement, he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Before you ask, no. I'm not here to get you out," she interrupted sadly. Shadow's ears drooped. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up. Bless got home safely, she's probably at school right now carrying on as usually, she's a real fighter, just like you."

Shadow felt as though his heart rate had halved, a great sense of satisfaction and relief came from those words. "Rouge… I know you're not here to get me out… but… _will _you be able to get me out?" Shadow asked with a shred of hope.

Rouge sighed and rolled her eyes, she then looked at her old friend with a smirk. "Of course, handsome," she said confidently and left him alone again.

"I can always count on you, Rouge," Shadow mumbled with a sigh of contented sadness.

Late afternoon, Bless left the school, hidden in the crowds. She checked her trouser pocket for the device she had brought with her that morning and panicked for a second when she couldn't feel it, although reaching down deeper led her to discover that it was, in fact, still there. This made her feel more nervous than before, things were bound to go wrong. It wasn't as if this was the scheme of the century and took a lot of planning, it was simple, anyone could have thought of it, but she still needed it to work.

The troubled teen made her way to the urban area and saw her target… or rather, her bully saw his target. The male's face was covered in bruises and a sinister smile. The ruffian reached out his hand and pointed his finger, curling it up rhythmically. He had beckoned for her to come. Bless walked over acting terrified, but she wasn't frightened, just slightly alarmed.

As she walked over, Bless remembered to put her hand in her pocket and press that essential button. When she reached him, the bully took his moment and snatched Bless by the hair and dragged her inside the same alleyway. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to find out! I didn't mean for my dad to hurt you! What would you expect? You were bullying me for a whole month!" Bless yelled as she walled pulled by her hair.

"Yeah… a whole month… which is the last of your life! You shouldn't have told, now I have to silence you!" he sneered and pushed her against the wall.

"What's happened to my dad? What have you said about him?" Bless said in a shaky voice.

"Well, in my statement, I made a slight… _exaggeration_ of what he did to me… and of course, told a few lies. They know nothing of this," he hissed and smiled menacingly, showing his imperfect, yellow teeth. With one hand he held her against the wall, and the other, revealed a knife. Bless gave a scream of terror at the top of her lungs. She was counting on Rouge even more than before.

Bless looked up as a shadow loomed over them, a winged being gilded down to the couple. The bully turned and widened his eyes, he was the terrified one this time. There was Rouge, in GUN uniform, with her taser pointed at him. "Don't you even try it," Rouge hissed. "Put your hands up and step away from the girl."

The bully shakily did as he was told, "And drop that weapon!" the knife fell to the floor with a clink. Rouge then took out her handcuffs and secured the bully. Bless was the one with the smirk on her face.

Rouge held her wrist up to her mouth and called for backup, low and behold, the same solider as before turned up several minutes later in the GUN van. Rouge, walked out of the shades of the alleyway with criminal in grasp, Bless was trailing behind.

"What's going on here?" the man asked when he saw the three of them.

Bless stepped out in front of him and revealed her device, with the click of a red button she gave a smirk and said. "I have my evidence."

"Y-you set me up! You recorded me didn't you!?" the bully was screaming in shock, slowly coming to realisation of all of the things he had just said to her, and all of the things he never denied during his attack on her.

"Thank you, Rouge. Now I would like to come with you to make a statement. A _truthful_ one," she teased the bully with her words. The scum was wallowing in his guilt, corruption had been neutralised.

Bless got into the car with Rouge, the bully was detained at the back. Bless was grinning from ear to ear, she wouldn't have this problem anymore, her plan had worked and her father would be free.

Shadow was becoming frustrated, he'd been in this empty cell for a full 24 hours now, he'd not been visited since Rouge left him earlier on and the time was dragging at snail's pace. It was the thought that he could be kept inside so much longer that was driving him slowly insane, there was no certain date to countdown to, he was waiting for a freedom that could never come.

The miserable hedgehog turned his head when he heard footsteps again, he was expecting it to be Rouge coming to update him on the situation so it came as a surprise when Bless showed up outside of the cell. "Dad!" she yelled in delight. "I did it! I proved what he did to me, you're free now!"

Shadow got up off the floor and rushed to the bars in excitement. Rouge came up behind Bless with a set of keys. The bat put the right key in the lock and turned it, the few seconds it took to open the door felt like eternity to Shadow. The door swung open; Bless flew herself into her father's arms. "Thank you," Shadow said sincerely and wrapped his arms around Bless.

"You won't be bothered now, Bless. Your bully has confessed to harassing you and several others. He's going into prison for a long time," Rouge smiled. "As for you Shadow… now that we know what was going on… your actions towards the bully were deemed as… _justified_. The charges have been dropped."

Shadow felt pride and joy whelming up inside of him, but all that was shown was a slight smile. "Thank you," he said again and nodded his head towards Rouge.

The three of them made their way out of the building. Shadow felt satisfied, knowing that justice was dealt. It was always worth _fighting corruption_.

**Sorry if you weren't expecting it to end. I tend to write stories of 3-5 chapters. More constructive criticism?**

**Lucy Labrador**


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